Podcast
The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim
Hosted by Sky News · EN
Sky News’ Yalda Hakim and NBC’s Richard Engel have covered world events for years. This is the podcast where they share experiences from the frontline.
They debrief from global flashpoints and discuss their encounters with the biggest decision makers. They’ll also be joined by some of those key players to help make sense of world events.
From conflict in the Middle East, to the Trump presidency, and the war in Ukraine there is no better place for analysis and expertise
New episodes from Richard and Yalda every Wednesday.
97episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The US-Iran Agreement: Breakthrough or Bluff?
6d ago00:31:33Summary readyFour months of fighting between America and Iran has led to this: a one-and-a-half-page agreement. But what does it actually mean? The details are sparse, but the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened, the US blockade will end and in the next 60 days there will be negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme. Trump says Iran can never have a nuclear weapon - will Iran agree? This week, Yalda is joined by Ali Vaez, the Iran project director at the International Crisis Group. He was involved in the negotiations that led to the 2015 nuclear deal and is a nuclear scientist. He talks to Yalda about what the next 60 days could bring and why he thinks this war may have actually encouraged Iran to develop its nuclear programme quicker. You can email your questions to Richard and Yalda at theworld@sky.uk You can also watch our podcasts on our YouTube channel here.
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Introducing... Stuff Matters with Ed Conway
1w ago00:15:15Summary readyLEDs were supposed to be one of the great environmental success stories: a revolutionary technology that uses a fraction of the energy of traditional light bulbs. But have they really saved the world?In our new podcast Stuff Matters, economics and data editor Ed Conway takes an object, cracks it open and reveals the world shaping forces hidden inside.Each episode follows a trail of ideas that stretches beyond the object itself, uncovering far reaching economic powers that shape how we live.Along the way, Ed meets fascinating characters, from brilliant inventors to Latin American revolutionaries. He dives into their personal stories and reveals how they’ve changed the course of industries and economies.Because when you look closely enough, even the simplest things turn out to matter more than you think.Follow Stuff Matters to never miss an episode.
SummaryInside Putin’s Russia: Is the Kremlin getting nervous?
2w ago00:45:36Summary readyWhy did President Zelenskyy write an open letter to Vladimir Putin? Why did Putin say he was rude? And why are ordinary Russians complaining about the price of cucumbers? In this episode of The World podcast, Yalda is joined by Sky’s Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett to find out what it's like reporting from Russia. They talk about Zelenskyy’s open letter, Putin’s reaction, and what Russians are saying about price rises and internet shutdowns. The pair also examine whether the Kremlin is getting nervous, and how the war with Ukraine might end. You can email your questions to Richard and Yalda at theworld@sky.uk You can also watch our podcasts on our YouTube channel here.
SummaryEx-CIA analyst predicted Iran crisis years ago - so why was Trump surprised?
3w ago00:38:22Summary readyIn 2012, a former CIA analyst ran a war game between the US and Iran.One of the first things he found was that Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz after America attacked. From there, his war game spiralled to a grisly end.So why did the Trump administration expect a quick victory?Fourteen years after the war game, Richard Engel sits down with Ken Pollack - the man behind the war game and now vice president for policy at the Middle East Institute to ask him exactly this.Would Trump and his team have been given this information? Why did he press ahead?The two also discuss the situation inside Iran as well as Israel's renewed strike on Lebanon, and ask the big question: where is this all going next?You can email your questions to Richard and Yalda at theworld@sky.ukYou can also watch our podcasts on our YouTube channel here.
SummaryChina versus America: who will win the AI race?
4w ago00:28:38Summary readyWill China ever produce an Elon Musk?Kyle Chan, research fellow at the Brookings Institution and an expert on the AI race between the two superpowers thinks not.He talks to Yalda about the new Cold War - the race for the best AI between China and America.The two talk about Taiwan, Tehran and the different ways that each country approaches AI research and development. Could the Chinese government actually be holding progress back?You can email your questions to Richard and Yalda at theworld@sky.ukYou can also watch our podcasts on our YouTube channel here.
SummaryRobots on the frontline: Is Ukraine now winning the war?
May 2000:39:39Summary readyFully automated frontlines? Robots on the battlefield? Drones fighting drones? The Ukraine war has been transformed from an old-fashioned trench war to a modern one in a matter of years. On this episode of the podcast, Richard talks to Professor Phillips O’Brien, a defence expert and head of international relations at St Andrews University - an expert on the Ukraine war. He tells Richard how Ukraine's frontlines have developed with the use of tech and how Ukraine is now able to strike deep into the heart of Russia. Four years into the war, has the tide now turned in Ukraine's favour? Professor O’Brien gives Richard his assessment. Yalda also discusses Sky News' exclusive reporting in Minab, Iran. International affairs editor Dominic Waghorn is at the site of an alleged US strike on a primary school which left more than 150 people dead, most of them children, on the first day of the US-Israeli war on Iran. You can watch Dom’s full report here You can email your questions to Richard and Yalda at theworld@sky.uk You can also watch our podcasts on our YouTube channel here.
SummaryTrump versus Xi: Who will win the battle of the superpowers in Beijing?
May 1300:25:11Summary readyA US President has not been to China since Donald Trump’s last trip nine years ago, so what will happen when Xi Jinping rolls out the red carpet for him again? Could there be progress made in Iran, Taiwan, or rare earth minerals? Yalda tells Richard what her contacts in the region are making of the meeting and where the war in Iran might be heading. Richard also details some of his reporting in the West Bank, in light of the New York Times investigation which alleges Israeli forces committed crimes against Palestinians. Some details of this story may be upsetting. You can watch Richard’s full report from 2023 here. And read Kristoff’s NYT piece here. You can email your questions to Richard and Yalda at theworld@sky.uk You can also watch our podcasts on our YouTube channel here.
SummaryHow Pakistan became the peacemaker in the Middle East
May 600:33:59Summary readyMore than eight weeks into the war in Iran, an unlikely country has emerged as the go-between for the two sides: Pakistan. How did General Asim Munir emerge as both the Trump and Iran whisperer?Yalda explains to Richard how this came about and why India may feel sidelined.Richard also tells Yalda about the fear of Israeli extremists felt by some members of Jerusalem's Christian community. He has spoken to religious leaders following the attack by a 36-year-old man on a nun.A man has been arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated assault but not charged. The Israeli Foreign Ministry says: "This shameful act stands in direct contradiction to the values of respect, coexistence, and religious freedom upon which Israel is founded and to which it remains deeply committed".You can email your questions to Richard and Yalda at theworld@sky.ukYou can also watch our podcasts on our YouTube channel here.
SummaryWho are the jihadists sweeping across Africa?
Apr 2900:41:56Summary readyOn Saturday 25 April armed terrorists rode into the capital of Mali in West Africa. Al Qaeda affiliated jihadists now say they are going to launch a total siege of the capital – home to some four million people. Who are these jihadists? What do they want? And could Mali be about to fall? Yalda speaks to Yousra Elbagir, Sky’s Africa correspondent, about the growing threat of jihadism in West Africa and why the world needs to pay attention - because what happens in Africa does not stay there. Meanwhile, Richard is back in Israel and talks about the potential opposition to Benjamin Netanyahu and why he’s keen to stay on a war footing. You can email your questions to Richard and Yalda at theworld@sky.uk You can also watch our podcasts on our YouTube channel here.
SummaryHow does the war in Iran end?
Apr 2200:35:44Summary readyWith Trump saying the ceasefire with Iran is 'extended', how could this conflict end? And what are the long-term implications for the region, and who will dominate – Israel or Iran?Richard is joined by Hamidreza Azizi, an Iranian analyst and Visiting Fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin. He has spent much of his career in Iran, studying the regime, and talks at length about the current war, its origins and what could happen next in the Middle East.The two also discuss Iran's 'Axis of Resistance' in the region - made up of Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis. Azizi's new book The Axis of Resistance: Iran, Israel and the Struggle for the Middle East is out later in the spring.You can also watch our podcasts on our YouTube channel here.You can email your questions to Richard and Yalda at theworld@sky.uk
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